Chapter 2 Lecture

Essential University Physics

Richard Wolfson
2
nd
Edition
2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
Slide 2-1
Motion in a Straight Line
2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
Slide 2-2
In this lecture youll learn
The fundamental quantities that
describe motion
Position
Velocity
Acceleration
Jerk
The difference between average
and instantaneous quantities
The use of calculus to find
instantaneous values
How to solve problems involving
constant acceleration in one
dimension
Including the constant acceleration
of gravity near Earths surface
2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
Slide 2-3
Position and Displacement
In one dimension, position can be
described by a positive or negative
number on a number line, also
called a coordinate system.
Position zero, the origin of the
coordinate system, is arbitrary and
youre free to choose it wherever its
convenient.
Displacement is change in
position.
For motion along the x direction,
displacement is designated x:
x = x
2
x
1
where x
1
and x
2
are the initial and final
positions, respectively.

1 1 1
, P x t

2 2 2
, P x t

3 3 3
, P x t
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Slide 2-4
Velocity
Velocity is the rate of change of
position.
Average velocity over a time interval
t is defined as the displacement
divided by the time:
Instantaneous velocity is the limit of
the average velocity as the time interval
becomes arbitrarily short:
In calculus, this limiting procedure
defines the derivative dx/dt.
Speed is the magnitude of velocity.
Velocity is the slope of the
position-versus-time curve.

v
x
t

v lim
t0
x
t

dx
dt
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Slide 2-5
Using Calculus to Find Derivatives
In calculus, the derivative gives the result of the
limiting procedure.
Derivatives of powers are straightforward:
Other common derivatives include the trig functions:

d bt
n

dt
bnt
n1

d sinbt

dt
bcosbt
d cosbt

dt
bsinbt


ln
1
bt
bt
d e
be
dt
d bt
dt t

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Slide 2-6
Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate of
change of velocity.
Average velocity over a time
interval t is defined as the
change in velocity divided by the
time:
Instantaneous acceleration is
the limit of the average
acceleration as the time interval
becomes arbitrarily short:
Acceleration is the slope of
the velocity-versus-time curve.

a
v
t

a lim
t0
v
t

dv
dt
0
Jerk lim
t
a da
j
t dt

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Slide 2-7
Position, Velocity, and Acceleration
Individual values of position, velocity, and acceleration
arent related.
Instead, velocity depends on the rate of change of position.
Acceleration depends on the rate of change of velocity.
An object can be at position x = 0 and still be moving.
An object can have zero velocity and still be accelerating.
At the peak of its trajectory,
a ball has zero velocity, but
its still accelerating.
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Slide 2-8
Constant Acceleration
When acceleration is
constant, then position,
velocity, acceleration, and
time are related by
where x
0
and v
0
are initial
values at time t = 0, and x
and v are the values at an
arbitrary time t.
With constant
acceleration
Velocity is a linear
function of time
Position is a quadratic
function of time


0
1
0 0 2
2
1
0 0 2
2 2
0 0
2
v v at
x x v v t
x x v t at
v v a x x




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Slide 2-9
The Acceleration of Gravity
The acceleration of gravity at
any point is exactly the same for
all objects, regardless of mass.
Near Earths surface, the value
of the acceleration is essentially
constant at g = 9.8 m/s
2
.
Therefore the equations for
constant acceleration apply:
In a coordinate system with y
axis upward, they read


0
1
0 0 2
2
1
0 0 2
2 2
0 0
2
v v gt
y y v v t
y y v t gt
v v g y y




This strobe photo of a falling ball
shows increasing spacing resulting
from the acceleration of gravity.
1
y
3
y
4
y
5
y
6
y
7
y
8
y
9
y
10
y
11
y
24
24
y
t

810
810
y
t

39
39
y
t

0
y
2
y
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Slide 2-10
Example: The Acceleration of Gravity
A ball is thrown straight up at
7.3 m/s, leaving your hand 1.5
m above the ground. Find its
maximum height and when it
hits the floor.
At the maximum height the ball
is instantaneously at rest (even
though its still accelerating).
Solving the last equation with
v = 0 gives the maximum
height:

2
0 0
2 2
0
0
2
0 2
or
(7.3 m/s)
1.5 m 4.2 m
2 (2)(9.8 m/s )
v g y y
v
y y
g


Setting y = 0 in the third equation
gives a quadratic in time; the result
is the two values for the time when
the ball is on the floor:
t = 0.18 s and t = 1.7 s
The first answer tells when the ball
would have been on the floor if it
had always been on this trajectory;
the second is the answer we want.
2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
Slide 2-11
Summary
Position, velocity, and acceleration are the fundamental
quantities describing motion.
Velocity is the rate of change of position.
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
When acceleration is constant,
simple equations relate position,
velocity, acceleration, and time.
An important case is the acceleration
due to gravity near Earths surface.
The magnitude of the gravitational
acceleration is g = 9.8 m/s
2
.


0
1
0 0 2
2
1
0 0 2
2 2
0 0
2
v v at
x x v v t
x x v t at
v v a x x